Will I join the empire?

For those who are close to me you already know what I'm talking about :) I got an offer from a company that I may accept shortly.. I'm still thinking about some issues though so my professional future is still uncertain [insert twightligth zone music here :) ]

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Product Management Is Dead. Long Live the Maker.

The role of the product manager as we’ve known it—focused only on strategy, prioritization, product and alignment—is disappearing. Not in five years. Not theoretically. Now. The shift is already underway inside tech—Microsoft, Amazon, Google and every Startup. And the people thriving in this new world? They’re not the ones clinging to swim lanes or optimizing roadmaps. They’re the ones embracing AI and becoming something new: makers . Ironically, the old-school “Program Managers” that originally existed—the scrappy, do-whatever-it-takes types—are closer to what’s needed today. The ones who build. The ones who ship. The Rise of the Maker Era While at Microsoft, one of my side projects involved driving AI adoption across teams. And one thing was unmistakably clear: this wasn’t a gentle suggestion from leadership. My interpretation: Use AI, or be left behind. This wasn’t hype. The shift was real. And once you truly lean into AI, your output changes dramatically. For m...

Giving lessons using a digital whiteboard

This simple tutorial will show you how to use and share a digital whiteboard to give remote lessons. A word of advice upfront: be patient . This is a simple process and you can get going very quick, depending on your approach and existing hardware, but it may also take time. Think about this as an investment to help you deliver more effective remote learning; so set aside a couple of hours to learn, try, relearn and try again :) Step 1. Install or access a whiteboard app If you Google "whiteboard application" you will get lots of alternatives. Pick the one that best suites your needs. For this tutorial I picked Microsoft Whiteboard . Step 2. Learn how to use a whiteboard app Launch the whiteboard app and familiarize yourself with its tools. You will see ways to draw, insert images, etc. Click around and see what each tool does. Spend as much time as you need to feel comfortable. Think about this tool similar to how you think about Word and Excel, you need to learn the ...

Achieving Sustained Agility

Hi, my name is Humberto, Carnegie Mellon alum with over 15 years of experience as a Product Manager, including a significant and ongoing tenure at Microsoft, where I focus on developing platforms and products for both enterprise and consumers. During my career, as well as through the experiences shared by colleagues at various organizations, I've observed teams sometimes struggle to achieve sustained agility and fall into the "Hamster Wheel of Haste". In this post I will explain the nature of this pattern, its signs, and how teams and leaders can improve with proven techniques. Definition The hamster wheel of haste is a permanent state of feeling too busy, wanting to make fast progress but being unable to do so over a sustained period. This leads teams to neglect efforts that would help them increase their speed and rely on short term crutches that further perpetuate the cycle. When teams remain in this state for too long, it inevitably leads to burnout. ⚠️Warning Sig...

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